I have been mentioning that I have a certain method for repotting bifoliate Cattleyas. It has evolved for over 40 years. This is the current method that I have been using for 10 years and I am quite successful with it. If you would like to successfully repot any Cattleya, you will dramatically increase your odds for success by picking the correct time to do so. Why is it important to pick the right time? Well good Cattleya growers have known for years that a Cattleya produces only one set of roots per new growth. These roots are non-branching, thin and easily damage to the point of losing them completely. Or worse maybe is that instead of being over a meter long, they barely reach a few inches in length. If that happens you do not have a years worth of new roots to absorb moisture. Instead the plant is forced to rely on old roots to absorb water and to absorb nutrients. So it suffers with what is known as being "set back" it does not grow as well as it should. Flowers are fewer and smaller then they should be. In many cases the plant may not even bloom. For every failure that the grower has when it comes to repotting at the correct time, plants can suffer and refuse to bloom. Eventually plants can even die. When is the best time to repot? When you first see new growths and new roots.
First step is to acquire the appropriate sized pot. This is a 6" clay pot.


Then in order to maximize drainage, I use a pair of Linesman's pliers to knock out the bottom of the pot.


The next step is to line the hole with fine hardware cloth.



That keeps the media inside but yet allows for tremendous drainage! Then I add an inch or so of clay shards.


Then with my media ready: aliflor, charcoal, bark and perlite, I am ready to repot. I next position the plant.





Holding it with my left hand, I use my right hand to gently fill in with media. Notice it is a tight fit. I don't want to use too large of a pot.


You will see in the above image, and a few to follow, that the new roots are between 1/2" and 3/4" Long. Same for the new growths. I TEND TO REPOT STRONGLY BIFOLIATE CATTLEYAS A BIT HIGH UP IN THE POT! This helps them to achieve rapid drying.









You'll notice six or eight new leads undamaged. The media comes close to the new roots but it does not bury them! I want those new roots to happily accept the new media. I really don't care if all the new roots grow into the media, I am pleased if just some of them do.
But notice please that I think that this plant is ready to excel in growing forward.
Here is one final image showing the completed job.


Well there you have it. This is my method for bifoliate Cattleyas. Walkeriana, intermedias, aclandiae, schilleriana too.

Oops I apologize: my model today, let's give her a round of applause was Lc. Mini Purple 'Blue Hawaii' which is Cattleya walkeriana 'coerulea' X Laelia pumila 'coerulea'. Both parents are obvious blues or coerulea parents. These blues are not the easiest to grow but I will try utilizing my new triple tube plant cart!!
I hope that this has proven informative. Happy growing.

Bill, thanks so much! This is really great! Very helpful!

I do have a problem repotting Cattleyas, I am always afraid to dislodge them from their old pots! They either hang tightly over the edge, or the roots attached firmly to a clay pot, or the roots are all over the place/woven in and out a wooden basket, impossible to remove without serious damage to older roots.
How much damage can you reasonably accept, knowing the plant will still be able to rebound? I have killed a few Cattleyas by probably doing it wrong.

Ursula I think that damage to existing roots is completely unavoidable. I just try to be as careful as I can. I soak plants first, I use the edge of a butter knife to dislodge roots a bit more easily BUT if your timing is right and you repot with very little damage to new roots, chances are that that is as good as we can hope. Those new roots can really make an impact going into fresh media.
Imagine the other side of the coin where in dislodging the old roots, one is not so careful. Then the grower repots when the roots are way to long jeopardizing their future. They get damaged so it's a double whammy if you will.
The more roots you save, the less of an impact there might be. It holds therefore that the chances of a set back or a failed blooming are greatly reduced!!
Happy you liked it.

If I am presented with a Cattleya going crazy by growing down over the wooden basket, I don't repot. IF I have an out of pot three bulb division, I remove it causing little or no damage, I might mount it. Chances are that those divisions have a curved rhizome making potting them very problematic!!
That darn rhizome has a tendency to grow parallel to the pot or basket!!

Makes a lot of sense! I think I let the Irene Finney do whatever she wants. She will stay as is until I can't lift her any longer.

SunnyInMichigan, I am bringing this thread of mine back to the forefront now because it is appropriate for you, and to remind others that it exists.
Read it all from the beginning.
It is complete with images. It is a step by step tutorial on just one way to repot Cattleyas. It is based upon my years of experience.

Thank you for bringing this article up! Photos are so helpful, and I also appreciate getting a chance to read through the Q & As -- good information is never dated!

My pleasure!

BigBill said: I have been mentioning that I have a certain method for repotting bifoliate Cattleyas. It has evolved for over 40 years. This is the current method that I have been using for 10 years and I am quite successful with it. If you would like to successfully repot any Cattleya, you will dramatically increase your odds for success by picking the correct time to do so. Why is it important to pick the right time? Well good Cattleya growers have known for years that a Cattleya produces only one set of roots per new growth. These roots are non-branching, thin and easily damage to the point of losing them completely. Or worse maybe is that instead of being over a meter long, they barely reach a few inches in length. If that happens you do not have a years worth of new roots to absorb moisture. Instead the plant is forced to rely on old roots to absorb water and to absorb nutrients. So it suffers with what is known as being "set back" it does not grow as well as it should. Flowers are fewer and smaller then they should be. In many cases the plant may not even bloom. For every failure that the grower has when it comes to repotting at the correct time, plants can suffer and refuse to bloom. Eventually plants can even die. When is the best time to repot? When you first see new growths and new roots.
First step is to acquire the appropriate sized pot. This is a 6" clay pot.


Then in order to maximize drainage, I use a pair of Linesman's pliers to knock out the bottom of the pot.


The next step is to line the hole with fine hardware cloth.



That keeps the media inside but yet allows for tremendous drainage! Then I add an inch or so of clay shards.


Then with my media ready: aliflor, charcoal, bark and perlite, I am ready to repot. I next position the plant.





Holding it with my left hand, I use my right hand to gently fill in with media. Notice it is a tight fit. I don't want to use too large of a pot.


You will see in the above image, and a few to follow, that the new roots are between 1/2" and 3/4" Long. Same for the new growths. I TEND TO REPOT STRONGLY BIFOLIATE CATTLEYAS A BIT HIGH UP IN THE POT! This helps them to achieve rapid drying.









You'll notice six or eight new leads undamaged. The media comes close to the new roots but it does not bury them! I want those new roots to happily accept the new media. I really don't care if all the new roots grow into the media, I am pleased if just some of them do.
But notice please that I think that this plant is ready to excel in growing forward.
Here is one final image showing the completed job.


Well there you have it. This is my method for bifoliate Cattleyas. Walkeriana, intermedias, aclandiae, schilleriana too.

Oops I apologize: my model today, let's give her a round of applause was Lc. Mini Purple 'Blue Hawaii' which is Cattleya walkeriana 'coerulea' X Laelia pumila 'coerulea'. Both parents are obvious blues or coerulea parents. These blues are not the easiest to grow but I will try utilizing my new triple tube plant cart!!
I hope that this has proven informative. Happy growing.

Bill, I saved this post to keep handy when repotting bifoliate cattleyas. How different is your procedure/media for unifoliate cattleyas. Without going into a long story, I have some that need to be potted now. TIA

Unifoliates are more forgiving when it comes to the timing of a repot.
I still use the same media. I prefer clay pots for the really large unifoliates. The main reason being their size at maturity. They are rather large plants and much more prone to tipping. Clay helps with that.
I like to knock out the bottom of the pot or if that is not convenient, I will use more stones or pieces of clay pot in the bottom to help with drainage.
If at all possible, pick a time with new root growth to repot but if that doesn't work for you, I have found it is okay to repot any time. These roots on unifoliates tend to branch far more then a bifoliate root, so that is a plus.

There are a load of people who feel quite strongly about repotting a unifoliate right after they finish blooming. So many of them do not go into any kind of prolonged dormancy so they may sit idle for a fairly short period of time until a new growth commences. Some growers have told me that they feel that new root growth begins shortly after blooming.